Lubricating greases



United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lubricating grease comprising a thickened aqueous solution of sodium or potassium silicate or their mixtures. The thickening agent employed can be an organic or inorganic material and can include bentonite, china clay, talc, the silicates of calcium, magnesium and aluminum, the carbonates of sodium or potassium, gum karaya, gum arabic or sodium alginate.

This invention provides a lubricating grease having a (high resistance to breakdown under load and devoid of conventional hydrocarbon oils.

The grease according to the invention comprises an The silicate solution should have, prior to addition of the thickening agent, a specific gravity in the range of 1.2-1.7. The lubricating effect of the grease depends upon the formation of a film of silicate upon the surface to be lubricated, and the function of the thickener is merely to render the solution sufiiciently viscous to ensure that it Will remain in place in a bearing to be lubricated. Accordingly a plurality of the above described thickeners can be used in combination.

We prefer to use sodium silicate rather than potassium silicate because it is cheaper. Of the thickeners, potassium carbonate is preferred because it dissolves readily and rapidly in the silicate solution. Potassium carbonate may conveniently be added as a concentrated aqueous solution to the silicate solution. The next preferred thickener is chemically precipitated calcium silicate. When chemically precipitated calcium, magnesium or aluminum silicate is used as the thickener, it is desirable to warm the sodium or potassium silicate solution to facilitate formation of a gel. The above mentioned organic gum thickeners are sometimes subjected to oxidative attack and it is accordingly better to use an inorganic thickener when the grease is required to have a long life.

The following tables indicate appropriate amounts of the above thickeners for use with various silicate solutions:

TABLE I.-SODIIIM S-ILICATE SOLUTIONS AND THICKENING AGENTS Sodium or Calcium, Organic 7 potassium magnesium gums as Bentonite, Ratio Specific carbonate, or aluminium described clay or talc, Ranges SiO z/N 120 gravity weight silicate, above, weight By weight percent of weight weight percent solution percent of percent of of solution solution solution 1 Minimum.

TABLE II.POTASSIUM SILICATE SOLUTIONS AND THICKENING AGENTS Sodium or Calcium, Organic potassium magnesium gums as Bentonite, Ratio Specific carbonate, or aluminium described clay or talc, Ranges SiOz/KzO gravity weight silicate, above, weight By weight percent of weight weight percent solution percent of percent of of solution solution solution 1 1.0-2.0 1. 4 3. 5-22 4-27 3-15 10-110 1. 4-1. 6 1.5-1. 6 11-18 15-21 7-11 25- 80 2 2. 0-2. 2 l l. 3 3-19 4-24 2-13 15-100 2. 0-2. 2 1. 35-1. 4 8-12 10-15 6- 9 3 2. 2-2. 6 1 l. 2 2. 5-16 3-19 0. 2-10 12- 80 2. 2-2. 4 1. 25-1. 3 5. 5-10 7-12 4- 8 35- 50 1 Minimum We find that the grease has better lubricating properties when the silicate solutions are at the less acid end of the ranges given in the tables. Thus the best range for sodium silicate solutions is that in which the SiO /Na O ratio by weight is 1.0-2.5, and the best range for potassium silicate solutions is that in which the SiO /K O ratio by weight is 1.0-2.2. It is preferred in any range of composition of the silicate solution to use the most concentrated solution within the range as less thickening agent is then required.

Specific aqueous silicate solutions referred to in the examples below have the following compositions in proportions by weight:

2. A lubricating grease, as claimed in claim 1 wherein the aqueous silicate solution has a specific gravity of 1.2-1.7.

3. A grease as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solution is a solution of sodium silicate in which the ratio by 4. A grease as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solution is a solution of potassium silicate in which the ratio 5. A grease as claimed in claim 1, in which the 6. A grease as claimed in claim 1, which contains, as an anti-friction additive, 0.2525% by weight of 7. A grease as claimed in claim 1, which contains as an anti-friction additive 0.25-30% by weight of graphite.

NagO, S K20, 11 0, Specific 5 Percent Perm Percent gravlty weight of SiO /Na O is 1.02.5.

14 28.1 57.9 1.5 s. a. 11. 2 "in 26:5 61:1 1:38 Welght Of slog/K 15 1.0-- .2.

. 10 The grease may also contain, for the purpose of reducthlckener 1S calcmm slhcate ing friction between the lubricated surfaces, 0.25-% by weight of molybdenum disulphide, 0.25% by weight of graphite, or 0.2530% of a mixture of these additives. 15 molybdenum dlsulphlde The following are examples of greases in accordance with the invention, proportions being by weight:

Percent Graphite Bentonite Gum karaya. Talc Calcium Silicate Sodium Alginate" Sodium Carbonate 110 Balance B alance B alance 8. A grease as claimed in claim 1, which contains, as an anti-friction additive, 0.25-30% by Weight of a mixture of graphite and molybdenum disulphide.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,629,691 2/1953 Peterson 252 2s 2,656,315 10/1953 Eckert 252-29 2,681,313 6/1954 Kather et a1. 252-28 DANIEL E. WYMAN, Primary Examiner.

I. VAUGHN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LUBRICATING GREASE, CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIM SILICATE AND POTASSIUM SILICATE THICKENED WITH A WATER-THICKENING AGENT.
 7. A GREASE AS CLAMED IN CALIM 1, WHICH CONTAINS AS AN ANTI-FRICTION ADDITIVE 0.25-30% BY WEIGHT OF GRAPHITE. 